Chương 26: Definitely Not Hiding Anything, Promise

After the sparring match, I didn't hang around to soak up the imaginary applause or wait for someone to throw a medal at my face and call it a day. I just grabbed my bag and made a beeline for the woods. I had more important things to do. Like, for example, not dying from electrocution. Again. I took a direct route to the small forest where I usually burn trees. I mean, train. After finding a patch I hadn't completely ruined yet, I decided it was time to take the next step in my chakra nature training.

Right now, I could kind of use lightning, but it was still too weak and pretty much useless. I even tested it on some mosquitoes in my room. Their flight pattern got weird for a second, and then they came back with a vengeance. My body's suffering, my control is a joke, and clearly, the mosquitoes are plotting. I need to improve my lightning chakra utilization and control. Mosquitoes, I swear, I'll do to you what I did to the bird and the trees before. Just you wait.

I found a quiet spot, one of the few that didn't look like it had survived a natural disaster. The only sounds were the rustling of leaves and the occasional weird animal noise. I dropped my bag, settled in the dirt, and pulled out a leaf and a cup of water. The latter had been "borrowed" from the Academy cafeteria, along with a spoon, a napkin, and possibly the entire concept of honesty. At this point, if I manage to sneak out a stove, a chair and a table, I'll have a fully functioning ramen stall in my apartment.

Nothing beats a self-funded project to improve my financial status. The Training goal was simple. Set the leaf on my palm. Drip a little water on it. Make the water ripple with lightning chakra. Not explode. Not steam. Definitely not incinerate the leaf. Just ripple. Like a responsible person. First try? Zap. A quick, snappy jolt crawled up my thumb like a pissed-off lightning bug with something to prove.

"Yeah, that's not a ripple," I muttered.

"That's a lawsuit waiting to happen." I shook my hand out and sighed. Second attempt. This time, I focused harder. Softer chakra flow. Not power, but rhythm. Like a slow heartbeat. A whisper instead of a roar. Power will come later on. The water twitched. I froze, staring at the tiny disturbance. It didn't explode. It didn't burn. It just… twitched. Then settled. Alright. I'd call that progress. Not a victory parade worthy one, but not a total failure either.

Just enough success to make me think I might not be terrible at this. I kept going. Over and over. My fingers buzzed. My palm tingled. A slight ache crept up my wrist. Every attempt sharpened my control just a little more. Lightning chakra wasn't about brute force. It was about refinement. About creating a high-frequency current that obeyed, not lashed out. Stolen story; please report. And I was starting to get it. Slowly. Then, of course, something had to ruin it. I paused, sensing a hint of chakra and movement.

Footsteps. Soft, but not soft enough. Something, or someone, was approaching fast. I sighed, annoyed, and tossed the leaf aside before turning to face the inevitable interruption. Kaen Uchiha stepped through the treeline. Of course it was him. He stopped when he saw me already looking in his direction, eyebrows raised. He blinked. Clearly not expecting me to sense him. I guess he thought he was being sneaky. Clan kids.

"You're not just some orphan," he said. No anger. Just a tone like he was poking at something sharp to see if it would bite. I rolled my eyes.

"Didn't realize this was your forest." Kaen stepped closer, landing lightly on the dirt with barely a sound. I'll give him that, he moved like a shinobi already. That alone was annoying. He crossed his arms.

"What are you doing out here?" I looked around, wide-eyed, as if seeing the place for the first time.

"Wait. This isn't my apartment?" Kaen groaned, which made me grin.

"Alright, fine. Meditation," I said.

"Nature's good for the soul, And my temper. You should try it."

"I want to ask you something," he said. I nodded.

"Go for it."

"You went easy in the sparring match. Didn't you?" I blinked. Then tilted my head.

"Not really. That Yamanaka kid had good technique. He moved better than me. I just hit harder." Kaen didn't look convinced.

"How did you get that strong then?" I shrugged.

"Had nothing better to do. No friends. No distractions. Just training. All day. Every day." His gaze softened, just a little.

"What clan were you from?" I looked at him for a moment, then answered, "No idea. I woke up during the Nine-Tails attack, surrounded by burning houses and a lot of dead people. I don't remember anything before that." That made him pause. Good. Maybe now he'd back off. I was getting tired of his confrontational nature, so I either had to be clear and reach an understanding with him, or keep annoying him until he broke. And honestly, I didn't feel like breaking the mind of a six-year-old kid.

It just didn't feel fair. Kaen didn't look like he pitied me. Which I appreciated. He just seemed thoughtful. Like he was processing something.

"My father says having someone stronger than you nearby is good," he said.

"Makes you work harder. Pushes you." That caught me off guard. I'd expected another accusation, not some quiet moment of reflection. He looked up again, eyes sharp.

"Before the Academy ends, I'm going to fight you. And I'm going to win." I raised an eyebrow.

"Ambitious."

"I'm serious."

"So am I," I said.

"You'll need to train harder than you think." Kaen's expression didn't change. But there was fire in his eyes now. A clear, focused drive. I stood there, watching him. For once, he wasn't glaring. He wasn't scowling or ranting about Uchiha pride. He was just a kid who wanted to grow stronger. He gave me a final nod. One of those rare moments where words weren't needed. Then he turned and vanished into the trees without another word. I stood there for a moment longer. Alone again. I held a new leaf in my hand.

I had a challenger now. Let's see how far I can go before Kaen catches up.